I dunno, to me it felt like the most "cooked" part of the episode. It's examining a facet of the Troy and Abed relationship that's been around for nearly two seasons and it sure looks like it'll end up evolving their friendship. I don't think we're supposed to actually feel threatened like a lot of people do; season 2 and the beginning of 3's purpose was to show that this group will never ever break up. They're stuck together, but they can morph. The fort plot promises that change while serving as a fair meta-commentary on how much Community, as a TV show, should compromise itself in order to be recognized. Hell, it comments on a plot in that episode: does putting a Subway plot in invalidate the show? Abed, in this ep, would argue that it does. He'd rather preserve an vision that hasn't been meddled with than risk a lower level of worthiness. But Troy would argue that greatness can still be achieved while bending over to serve the needs of external influences. It's the exact dilemma that Community and all bubble shows deal with as they try to both maintain their niche and grow. I'm excited to see what conclusion they come to.

Oh yeah, I'd certainly bet on this. It'll either be that or them destroying each others forts and saying "at least it was so great while it lasted." But in either scenario I'd expect the show's actual stance to be more nuanced and revealing about Dan Harmon's opinion on sacrifice in the creative process of making a TV show.

Have we forgotten the KFC episode from last season already? This is nothing new, and it's always incorporated in tasteful over the top self aware fashion. This time they even managed to get in some corporate personhood commentary.

Have we forgotten the KFC episode from last season already? This is nothing new, and it's always incorporated in tasteful over the top self aware fashion. This time they even managed to get in some corporate personhood commentary.

I think you read zero of the sentences around that one. e: I was saying that some will see that product placement as overbearing, and even some who enjoy it might find it to be Harmon compromising his vision; product placement is intrusive by definition. The episode's fort plot confront that and all other elements that could be called meddling (studio notes, shuffled episodes, etc.) and asks whether it actually ruins the brilliant episodes that make it through. That's the question that's posed by part one of this two-parter, which is what I was pointing out to show why I loved the pillow plot and didn't find it undercooked (quite the opposite). I assume, as I put just above your post, that the show will conclude that some level of wiggle room can lead to even greater things. We don't know yet, but that's where i see it going. Either way, you took my description of what actually happened in the episode as a complaint

Great, great episode. A return to form. Jeff, Annie storyline a little flat but still some good jokes that come out of that plot thread. Garrett surprising them from around the corner, Lenoard wishing he had invested in IBM.

Funniest line of the ep "I'm sorry i grew up in the Bay area but this is too much"

I didn't really see the connection between the Subway/corporate personhood commentary and the 2Forts plots, and the jacket joke totally escaped me (fuck my headache), but the explanations here do make a lot of sense and add a subtleness I hope the show never looses, even if Troy wins, so to speak.

Britta unfiltered/Pierce drinking pen ink probably topped my favourites for the episode, but it was really good overall. And for those wanting a school connection Annie and Jeff provided.

Now I understand why this was almost cancelled, the new episodes and this boring Troy/Abed plot really feels corny, telegraphed and a complete 180 in terms of characters just for creating what the writers consider tension, but its actually awkwardness. Reminds me of scrubs in the last seasons.

Now I understand why this was almost cancelled, the new episodes and this boring Troy/Abed plot really feels corny, telegraphed and a complete 180 in terms of characters just for creating what the writers consider tension, but its actually awkwardness. Reminds me of scrubs in the last seasons.

What makes it telegraphed? Abed's tendency to completely overtake situations and make them about him has been a problem present since early season 2.
EDIT: Also, Troy's desire to take more responsibility has been a running theme since season 2. Is it a reversal of his character at the beginning of season 1? Yes, but "a complete 180" makes it sound immediate; this has been a gradually occurring transformation since Mixology, if not before.

Again, people seem to be thinking that we're supposed to be worried their friendship will end. The battle is for their friendship to change, not dissolve. Season 2 existed to show us, through Pierce, that the group is firmly stuck together.

Really? People were loving this episode? I thought it was OK with the Britta/Subway part being the only funny part. The Troy/Abed was just a setup to the showdown next week and the Jeff/Annie part wasnt funny at all, but it was nice they mentioned their past making out.

Oh and the jacket part was good too. Funny how some people didnt get the boner joke.

Not trying to be a downer or hate on anyone/anything. Episode just wasnt that great overall for me.

Really? People were loving this episode? I thought it was OK with the Britta/Subway part being the only funny part. The Troy/Abed was just a setup to the showdown next week and the Jeff/Annie part wasnt funny at all, but it was nice they mentioned their past making out.

Oh and the jacket part was good too. Funny how some people didnt get the boner joke.

Not trying to be a downer or hate on anyone/anything. Episode just wasnt that great overall for me.

You use setup like it's a bad thing. The creation of tension can be even more compelling than the climax.

The Jeff/Annie thing is more subjective; I liked the contrast it showed. Season 1 Jeff was an unrepentant asshole and while there's still some of that left ("I didn't sneeze") he's evolved far enough to apologize for past transgressions. Even when they were towards needy guys named Kim.

What was the point of the joke in the beginning where Jeff and Pierce have the short conversation right before Shirley reads from the book? It was something along the lines of:

J: "It's 10 am"
P: "Your welcome"
J: "...Oh"

I'm confused.

Pierce had just said something about it being evening, and "your welcome" was such a nonsensical response that it showed how Pierce was particularly out of it that day. That continued through the episode.

Now I understand why this was almost cancelled, the new episodes and this boring Troy/Abed plot really feels corny, telegraphed and a complete 180 in terms of characters just for creating what the writers consider tension, but its actually awkwardness. Reminds me of scrubs in the last seasons.

Every character having kids ruined Scrubs for me. Troy desperately needed to grow a little less dependent on Abed, for a lot of episodes he feels like a sidekick.

Really enjoyed that episode. I actually thought it was running a bit too slow for a half hour episode, until I realized "part one" is on the title name.

The whole Subway thing was funny as hell. Reminds me of Chuck, and it was a bit more realistic. Chuck fans know how blatant and self-aware their Subway pimping was. I can get behind it. And there was the more subtle (vs. this Subway one) KFC episode last season.

ANyway, liked this one, felt like a bit of a return to form except for the start which I dunno, felt a bit like they've slipped into that "new simpsons" issue of explaining things straight up without just letting the story explain itself.

I know this will never happen, but could Harmon (or maybe Sony, but iunno) start a Kickstarter fund to help fund Season 4?

They wouldnt come close to raising anything significant overall, and it might come off as desperate, but it could create some good buzz for the show. They could pull it off as "hey, pay for the Season 3 DVD now and we will take that money to fund Season 4."